


A Splash of Familiarity

by letthebookbegin



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-17
Updated: 2016-08-17
Packaged: 2018-08-09 08:23:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7794490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/letthebookbegin/pseuds/letthebookbegin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The inhabitants of the Castle of Lions stop off at a planet to resupply and bump into something that reminds them of home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Splash of Familiarity

The planet they land on is a mix of blue and red, somehow never shifting into purple. The castle descends through the mist covering part of the surface and breaks through into a greyish atmosphere. Five paladins, a princess, and a mustachioed uncle walk down the ramp, a little of the mist curling down from the sky to adorn their descent.

‘Hunk,’ the princess asks, ‘Why are you in full armour and holding your bayard? I told you this is a friendly planet, we’re only stopping off to stock up on supplies.’

‘ _Friendly_ planet,’ Hunk scoffs. ‘Yeah, we’ve all heard _that_ one before.’

Allura opens her mouth to protest, then shuts it again. ‘Actually, good point.’

Four paladins, a princess, and a mustachioed uncle bolt back up the ramp and descend again rather cautiously, fitted in full armour with hands hovering over their respective weapons. Coran opts to stay inside the castle, in case its defences are needed, and the paladins follow Allura to where she says the supplies can be found.

It’s on their way back, supplies successfully gathered, that it happens. Shiro is staring at the sky, watching the tiny glimpses of the blue moons that appear in the gaps of the swirling pink mist, counting the stars he can see from the planet floor. The colours of this planet are beautiful, and different enough to those he knew not to incite any pangs of loss or memories he’d rather stay lost. The mist turns steadily darker and thicker as they walk on, until it is almost red and there aren't any gaps in it at all.

‘Um,’ Keith asks, looking around at the world bathed in red, ‘Is this supposed to happen?’

‘Oh, yes,’ Coran’s voice comes over the comms, the paladins all still wearing their full armour despite the relatively safe trip, ‘It’s perfectly normal. It happens every now and then on this planet, the mist coalesces and condenses, falling from the sky. Quite a sight, you’re lucky to witness it.’

All of them are looking at the sky now. The first drop to fall falls on Pidge.

‘W-What’s that?’ she asks, curious after the jolt the sight of it first gave her. She watches the deep blue drop fall down the front of her helmet, and a thousand memories tug at her. The drops start falling faster and faster, and Keith, Lance, and Hunk pull out their bayards in suspicious surprise, looking up.

It’s been so long since the paladins have seen the phenomenon they don’t recognise it at first, but one by one, the familiarity of it dawns on them and they let their weapons fall to gaze, awestruck, at the sky.

‘Ah yes,’ Coran’s says, ‘You have a similar occurrence on Earth, don’t you? You call it rain, if I’m not mistaken.’

The paladins don’t answer, enraptured by the sky. Coran and Allura watch them with wistful smiles on their faces, all too aware of what it feels like to miss an entire planet.

It’s Lance who snaps out of his daze first. ‘It’s raining,’ he whispers to himself in awe. He starts laughing, pulling off his helmet impatiently and tilting his face to the sky to feel the drops on his skin. ‘It’s _raining_!’ He jumps in a puddle and splashes the nearest paladin, Pidge, roaring with laughter. ‘It’s _RAINING_!’

‘Hey!’ Pidge protests, but she’s grinning so hard her face might break, and she splashes him back in kind. Hunk joins in happily and Lance goads Keith into the fight, and all four are soon shrieking with laughter and soaking wet.

Shiro just lets the drops fall onto his face, his eyes closed, and for once the memories that flood his mind are kind. He is left to his thoughts for barely a minute, however, before Pidge, Hunk, Keith and Lance all advance on him, determined not to leave him the only one dry. Allura stands to the side at first, not really understanding what's happening, but when a wayward splash lands on her (for no one would dare to intentioanlly start a fight with the princess), she wastes no time in getting the paladins back.

‘Coran!’ Lance yells into his helmet, ‘Come out here, you can’t miss thi- Oi! No fair, Pidge!’

Coran dutifully descends the ramp, rather nervous, and is immediately ambushed.

‘MY _MOUSTACHE_!’

The inhabitants of the castle of lions laugh, laughs loud and lingering, simple laughter that hasn’t graced their lips in far too long. And when they finally retreat back into the ship, it is with soaked skin and smiles that won’t fade for a while.


End file.
